"Against them make ready your strength to the utmost of your power, including steeds of war, to strike terror into the enemies of Allah and your enemies..." (Qur'an 8:60)

When Jesus told the Jews, His first followers, to spread the good news, there were limitations. It was not carte-blanche slaughter. He told His followers to spread the Good News; and when they came upon a crowd who was not interested, leave. It was simple. If the Jews did not want to hear their message he told them to shake the dust off their sandals and leave. He did not tell anyone to forcibly convert others; he did not tell His followers to enslave the non-believers; He did not tell His followers to charge an exorbitant tax to nonbelievers nor did Jesus ever say to kill anyone.

Even in pre-Christian Judaism, God did not instruct the children of Israel to slaughter the rest of the world if they didn't convert.

Not so with Islam.

Under Islam the options of one's lifestyle are limited. The Quran instructs its followers to conquer, convert, enslave, tax (jizya) or kill all inhabitants of planet Earth who do not believe that Allah is God and Muhammad is his Prophet. We have to acknowledge that Jesus is inferior to Muhammad; and under consequence of death, no one shall defame the name Allah or the Prophet.

As a newsaholic I hear every day the following: Islam is peaceful; Islam has been hijacked by Islamists; the jihadists are not interpreting the Quran properly; and the apologies continue. News anchors proclaim the peace of Islam and are quick to call others who disagree, phobic. But then, why wouldn't people be Islamophobic?

The USA just celebrated the 15th anniversary of the largest terror attack in US history. The day after that attack, September 11, 2001, even CNN anchors were talking about God; and God bless America; God bless the USA. It seemed that day and many weeks thereafter, God was everywhere in conversation.

And then it seems we forgot. We have hundred million dollar athletes refusing to stand for the same flag our enemies want to defeat. They kneel or turn their back on the heritage of their country while our enemies also turn their backs and defame the flag of the USA. It's really disgusting to see them in bed together.

I cannot say that the Quran does not have some peaceful verses (suras) and loving verses mixed in with verses of hatred and bigotry and superiorism. They are there.

When I first read the Quran, it reminded me of a beautifully wrapped present: the peaceful verses are like the wrapping paper and the ribbon is the loving verses. The package, however, is the bulk conglomeration of other verses. And the other verses are the verses that Jews, Christians, Hindus, Buddhists, Taoists, Wiccans, atheists and everyone else better investigate. I am afraid they will not.

When my oldest daughter was only 15, a lot of kids were reading the Satanic Bible by Anton Lavey. I was well into my born-again experience and could not get enough of anything "religious." I would talk to anyone and everyone, no matter their faith or no faith at all, if they wanted to talk. My wife once told the Sunday school class that I talked to Jehovah's Witnesses until they looked at their watch and said they had to leave. This is true.

I picked up one of the Satanic Bibles and read it. It was frightful to me that kids had experienced the ouster of God from the school systems yet were reading a Satanic version of the Bible. Parents should be aware that this book is out there, even in our libraries.

It was many years before I decided to reread the Quran, because it is not easily understood. According to Arabs, the Quran can only be understood in Arabic. When I read it again with so many years of study behind, the similarity between the teachings of the Quran and the teachings of the Satanic Bible were astounding.

Like the Satanic Bible the Quran consists of some verses that appear peaceful and loving and all is grand. Then it goes on to teach that even though loving and caring for each other is a good thing, it is not necessary if it is to your disadvantage. In other words: do not murder unless it's to your advantage. Do not lie unless it will help the cause. It is as though it teaches the philosophy of basic Judaism and Christianity, with a large dose of lying, murder, and pedophilia mixed in.

In the Quran, sura 65:4 is often referred to as the pedophilia sura. This is the verse that justifies the marriage and the consummation of marriage to prepubescent children. This is the verse that justifies the marriage of Muhammad and Aisha when Aisha was only six. Through the years Islam has had trouble with this particular sura; and as a result, the generally recognized age of consent is now 11, instead of 6. Isn't that nice.

Such of your women as have passed the age of monthly courses, for them the prescribed period, if ye have any doubts, is three months, and for those who have no courses (it is the same): for those who carry (life within their wombs), their period is until they deliver their burdens: and for those who fear Allah, He will make their path easy. Yusuf Ali translation

I received an email last week asking why I "harp" so much about Islam? I do it for the same reason that Joel C. Rosenberg and Jonathan Cahn do it. It is the same message of which the late Jack Kinsella often wrote and spoke of. I am worried that once again, we will wait, America will wait, to react rather than act. Will we fight, or will we flee?

After the terrorist assault on our land, September 11, 2001, President George W. Bush instituted what became known as the Bush Doctrine. It was a doctrine of preemption and a doctrine that our current president has nullified. It always seemed logical to me, that if a country or a group of people are out to destroy and kill the people of your land, there is only one action to take. Kill or be killed.

People are funny. We dole out money two or four times a year for maintenance of our heating and air-conditioning system, in the hope of preempting trouble before it happens. We go to the dentist each year, need it or not, for preventive maintenance of our teeth. The hope is, the preventive maintenance will preempt future problems.

Yet when it comes to the destruction of our buildings, of our ships, of our airplanes and soon, populations; we have decided that preventive (preemptive) maintenance is unnecessary. We have decided to react rather than act. Can you imagine what the world would be like if President Truman had decided to react rather than act. World War II would probably be on TV every night.

It is my hope that people all over the world will wake up to the Islamic threat. The religion has not been hijacked. It is what it is and what it always has been: Violent.

If you have time in the coming week or weeks and are curious about what the Quran really says, here are a couple of suras you might check out on the Internet.

(Quran 4:34) Men have the right to discipline their women by beating when necessary.

(Quran 9:29) Gives the right to kill Jews and Christians unless they convert to Islam or pay the exorbitant jizya (tax).

(Quran 8:12) Gives the green light to amputation and dismemberment of the non-believer.

(Quran 2:217) If a Muslim disavows his religion, he is put to death.

Now really, does this sound peaceful?

This should not be a wakeup call for the United States; it should be a wakeup call for the world. Iran doesn't need to build a nuclear weapon when they can buy them from North Korea or Pakistan. North Korea has now developed the nuclear bomb, a missile to carry it to other continents and a submarine that fires nuclear missiles.

Imagine that: An enemy submarine off the coast of Los Angeles with a few nuclear missiles. Preventive maintenance should have been carried out years ago. And in retrospect, the world will wish it had.

"Isn't it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different..." CS Lewis (Prince Caspian)

US president says military package will help Israel defend itself but 'long-term security' depends on creating 'an independent and viable Palestine'

US President Barack Obama said Wednesday that while the massive new military aid deal for Israel - Washington's largest defense package to any country in history - would help Israel defend itself, "long-term security" can only be achieved by the creation of "an independent and viable Palestine."

Signed at a State Department ceremony earlier on Wednesday, the new package will grant Israel $3.8 billion annually - up from the $3 billion pledged under the previous agreed-upon MOU - starting in 2018 and through 2028.

In a statement released shortly after the signing, Obama described the agreement, known as the memorandum of understanding, as "just the most recent reflection of my steadfast commitment to the security of the State of Israel," citing billions of dollars already provided by his administration over the past eight years.

"Over the past eight years, my administration has time and again demonstrated this commitment in word and deed," he said, stressing that this deal will help Israel address its defense needs.

"Both Prime Minister Netanyahu and I are confident that the new MOU will make a significant contribution to Israel's security in what remains a dangerous neighborhood. The continued supply of the world's most advanced weapons technology will ensure that Israel has the ability to defend itself from all manner of threats."

But the US president said a bolstered military was not enough to secure long-term stability for the Jewish state. He said America's commitment to Israel's security meant more than just giving military aid.

"It is because of this same commitment to Israel and its long-term security that we will also continue to press for a two-state solution to the longstanding Israeli-Palestinian conflict, despite the deeply troubling trends on the ground that undermine this goal," he said.

"As I have emphasized previously, the only way for Israel to endure and thrive as a Jewish and democratic state is through the realization of an independent and viable Palestine. Ultimately, both this MOU and efforts to advance the two-state solution are motivated by the same core US objective that has been shared by all administrations, Democratic and Republican, over the last several decades - ensuring that Israelis can live alongside their neighbors in peace and security."

Speaking before the ceremony, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the United States for what he described as the "unprecedented" and "historic" defense aid package.

"This agreement will ensure an unprecedented level of defense aid for Israel in the next decade," Netanyahu said in a video. "This is the largest military aid package the US has ever given out to any nation."

"The agreement will help us continue building our armed forces, improve our missile defense systems," he added. "I want to thank President Obama and his administration for this historic agreement."

Writing on Twitter, Israeli ambassador to the US Ron Dermer thanked Obama directly for "forging this historic agreement."

Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton released a statement praising the deal saying that it "sends a clear message to the region and the world that we will always stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Israel."

"The agreement will help solidify and chart a course for the US-Israeli defense relationship in the 21st century as we face a range of common challenges from Iran's destabilizing activities to the threats from ISIS and radical jihadism, and efforts to delegitimize Israel on the world stage," she said.

Under the terms of the deal, Israel pledged not to seek additional funding from Congress for the next decade. The agreement also includes a provision curtailing Israel's ability to spend the funds on its own arms industry over the next six years - a key area of dispute during talks. Washington had wanted Israel to spend a larger amount of the funds on American-made products. Currently, Israel can spend 26.3 percent of US military aid buying from its own domestic defense companies.

The US also reportedly wanted to remove a clause in the memorandum that allows Israel to spend $400 million a year on "military fuels."

According to earlier reports, Israel had asked for a separate, $400 million deal for missile defense spending - which could have raised the total amount to more than $4 billion annually. However, the final figure was set without that provision.

In his statement, Netanyahu acknowledged the recent diplomatic disputes between Jerusalem and Washington, but said they "had no effect whatsoever on the great friendship between Israel and the US."

"These are disputes you have between family," Netanyahu said. "This agreement demonstrates the simple truth that the relationship between Israel and the US is strong and powerful."

According to latest Home Front Command assessments, 1% of incoming enemy rockets would score direct hits on buildings in Israel.

The Home Front Command will hold a national war drill from Sunday until Wednesday, which will include a nation-wide air raid siren on Tuesday evening at 7:05 p.m.

The goal of the drill is to train civilians in how to quickly enter safe zones in homes and workplace, in the event of a mass rocket attack on Israel.

According to recent assessments within the Home Front Command, in any multi-front conflict, some 95% of all enemy rockets will be light-weight, short-range projectiles that have ranges that do no surpass 40 a kilometer range, and one percent of all incoming threats would score direct hits on buildings.

Mass rocket attacks are expected to sew mass disruption and potential casualties in the hundreds in a war involving multiple front, and the Home Front Command has been working with emergency services, government ministries, and local authorities to prepare for such a scenario.

The preparations are not an indication in any way of an assessment that a conflict is imminent, but rather, they form standard Home Front Command work during routine times. Keeping basic services running under fire are a central aspect of the Home Front Command's goals. Israel's enemies collectively possess some 230,000 projectiles, more than half of which are in Hezbollah possession in Lebanon.

In any full-scale conflict, Hezbollah could fire 1,500 rockets per day, and target central Israel with dozens of long-range rockets per day. The big majority of those would fall in open areas, according to assessments.

The Home Front Command is factoring into its preparations the fact that Hezbollah is seeking to obtain a growing number of precision-guided rockets.

Cross-border infiltrations by Hezbollah and Hamas in any future conflict would pose significant challenge to the home front, according to plans.

The Home Front Command has recently increased the number of areas within the country that will receive rocket alerts, from 265 to 3000, greatly increasing the accuracy of the warning.

In recent weeks, the Home Front Command held a drill in which it practiced calling up reservist search and rescue personnel to mock destruction zones. In the event of conflict with Hezbollah, of the 750,000 Israelis who may vacate their homes from northern regions, the state will be able to absorb some 95,000 of them in hotels and kibbutz homes.

Regarding the chemical threat, assessments in the Home Front Command are that the strategic threat from chemical weapons has decreased greatly since the Assad regime disbanded its chemical weapons program, but the tactical, pinpoint threat of chemical weapons by ISIS on the border has appeared as a future possibility.

As a result, the Home Front Command continues to maintain gas mask production lines, enabling production of protection kits at a moment's notice if needed.

Critics say that the creation of a European army, a long-held goal of European federalists, would entail an unprecedented transfer of sovereignty from European nation states to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels, the de facto capital of the EU.

Others say that efforts to move forward on European defense integration show that European leaders have learned little from Brexit, and are determined to continue their quest to build a European superstate regardless of opposition from large segments of the European public.

"Those of us who have always warned about Europe's defense ambitions have always been told not to worry... We're always told not to worry about the next integration and then it happens. We've been too often conned before and we must not be conned again." - Liam Fox, former British defense secretary.

"[C]reation of EU defense structures, separate from NATO, will only lead to division between transatlantic partners at a time when solidarity is needed in the face of many difficult and dangerous threats to the democracies." - Geoffrey Van Orden, UK Conservative Party defense spokesman.

European leaders are discussing "far-reaching proposals" to build a pan-European military, according to a French defense ministry document leaked to the German newspaper, theSüddeutsche Zeitung.

The efforts are part of plans to relaunch the European Union at celebrations in Rome next March marking the 60th anniversary of the Treaty of Rome, which established the European Community.

The document confirms rumors that European officials are rushing ahead with defense integration now that Britain - the leading military power in Europe - will be exiting the 28-member European Union.

British leaders have repeatedly blocked efforts to create a European army because of concerns that it would undermine the NATO alliance, the primary defense structure in Europe since 1949.

Proponents of European defense integration argue that it is needed to counter growing security threats and would save billions of euros in duplication between countries.

Critics say that the creation of a European army, a long-held goal (see Appendix below) of European federalists, would entail an unprecedented transfer of sovereignty from European nation states to unelected bureaucrats in Brussels, the de facto capital of the EU.

Others say that efforts to move forward on European defense integration show that European leaders have learned little from Brexit - the June 23 decision by British voters to leave the EU - and are determined to continue their quest to build a European superstate regardless of opposition from large segments of the European public.

The Süddeutsche Zeitung reported that it had obtained a copy of a six-page position paper, jointly written by French Defense Minister Jean-Yves Le Drian and his German counterpart, Ursula von der Leyen. The document calls for the establishment of a "common and permanent" European military headquarters, as well as the creation of EU military structures, including an EU Logistics Command and an EU Medical Command.

The document calls on EU member states to integrate logistics and procurement, coordinate military R&D and synchronize policies in matters of financing and military planning. EU intelligence gathering would be improved through the use of European satellites; a common EU military academy would "promote a common esprit de corps."

According to the newspaper, the document will be distributed to European leaders at an informal summit in Bratislava, Slovakia, on September 16. France and Germany will ask the leaders of the other EU member states not only to approve the measures, but also to "discuss a fast implementation."

Specifically, France and Germany will for the first time activate Article 44 of the Lisbon Treaty (also known as the European Constitution). This clause allows certain EU member states "which are willing and have the necessary capability" to proceed with the "task" of defense integration, even if other EU member states disapprove.

According to Süddeutsche Zeitung:

"In the wake of the British referendum to leave the European Union, Chancellor Angela Merkel and French President François Hollande have decided to demonstrate the EU's strength and to push the remaining member states to show more unity. Especially in defense policy, many projects were put on hold because Britain vetoed them. Without London, the two EU founding states, France and Germany, hope for swift decisions."

On September 8, Defense News reported that the creation of a European army was the central focus of an August 22 meeting between the leaders of France, Germany and Italy in Naples, where the three declared "the beginning of a new Europe." That meeting was followed by a meeting of defense ministers from the three countries in Paris on September 5.

According to Defense News, Italy is lobbying France and Germany to "back a plan for European tax breaks and financing for joint European defense procurement and development programs, as part of a bid to build a European army."

A confidential draft document circulated by Italy calls for "fiscal and financial incentives to support new EU cooperative programs for development and joint purchases of equipment and infrastructure supporting the EU's Common Security and Defense Policy."

In a September 8 interview with La Repubblica, the EU's foreign policy chief, Federica Mogherini, called for the establishment of a permanent EU military headquarters in Brussels that would manage all current and future EU military operations. "This could become the nucleus around which a common European defense structure could be built," she said.

Mogherini insisted that "we are not talking about a European army but about European defense: something we can really do, concretely, starting now." She also stressed that EU defense policy would remain under the control of European governments rather than the European Commission, the powerful executive arm of the EU.

On September 7, however, The Times reported that Mogherini will present EU leaders attending the summit in Bratislava with a "road map" and a "timetable" for creating EU military structures, which are "the foundation of a European army." According to newspaper, her plans for military structures able "to act autonomously" from NATO have led to fears that "the EU is seeking to rival the transatlantic alliance."

The Times quoted Mogherini as saying she was taking advantage of the "political space" opened by the Brexit vote:

"It might sound a bit dramatic but we are at this turning point. We could relaunch our European project and make it more functional and powerful for our citizens and the rest of the world. Or we could diminish its intensity and power. We have the political space today to do things that were not really doable in previous years."

On May 27, the Sunday Times reported that steps towards creating a European army were being kept secret from British voters until the day after the June 23 referendum:

"In an effort to avoid derailing the Prime Minister's 'Remain' campaign, the policy plans will not be sent to national governments until the day after Britons vote. Until then, only a small group of EU political and security committee ambassadors, who must leave their electronic devices outside a sealed room, can read the proposal."

On June 28, just days after the British referendum, Mogherini presented European leaders attending an EU summit in Brussels with the "EU Global Strategy on Foreign and Security Policy." The document explicitly calls for European defense integration, and implicitly calls for the creation of a European army.

According to the document, the EU strategy "nurtures the ambition of strategic autonomy for the European Union." It adds: "Gradual synchronization and mutual adaptation of national defense planning cycles and capability development can enhance strategic convergence between member states."

In an interview with The Telegraph, Liam Fox, a former defense secretary who served under former Prime Minister David Cameron, said:

"Those of us who have always warned about Europe's defense ambitions have always been told not to worry, but step-by-step that ever closer union is becoming a reality. We cannot afford to be conned in this referendum as we were conned in 1975.

"The best way to protect ourselves is to stay close to the US. The US defense budget is bigger than the next 11 countries in the world put together. Europe's defense intentions are a dangerous fantasy and risk cutting us off from our closest and most powerful ally.

"We're always told not to worry about the next integration and then it happens. We've been too often conned before and we must not be conned again."

The Conservative Party's defense spokesman, Geoffrey Van Orden, said the implications of the EU's defense ambitions are worrying:

"We can all see that the EU might play a useful role in conflict prevention and in some civil aspects of crisis management. But its ambitions go beyond that. The EU motive is not to create additional military capability but to achieve defense integration as a key step on the road to a federal EU state.

"The US and indeed the UK are being misled if they imagine that such moves will enhance NATO - the key guarantor of our collective defense. On the contrary, creation of EU defense structures, separate from NATO, will only lead to division between transatlantic partners at a time when solidarity is needed in the face of many difficult and dangerous threats to the democracies."

Mike Hookem, the defense spokesman of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), said his party had been warning about the dangers posed by the EU army concept for years:

"I'm pleased to see people are finally waking up. An EU army is not some Eurosceptic fantasy, there are many in Brussels hell-bent on making it happen."

In 2016, approximately 10,000 Syrian refugees were brought into the United States, but in 2017 that number could skyrocket to 40,000 under Barack Obama's new plan. Obama says that we must play our part in taking in those displaced by the ongoing Syrian civil war, but Republicans in Congress are outraged by this announcement and remain deeply concerned that there are terrorists among the refugees that are being brought in. The Obama administration insists that all refugees are being subjected to rigorous screening, but his critics are quite skeptical. Coming out of the midst of a five year civil war, documentation is scarce for many of these refugees, and there aren't too many people that you can call over there that can serve as a solid reference at this point.

According to USA Today, the total number of refugees worldwide that will be brought in next year is scheduled to rise by 29 percent under Obama's new plan...

The White House plans to sharply increase the number of refugees accepted by the United States to 110,000 in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, saying the move is necessary to help stem a migrant crisis gripping Europe and the Middle East.

The new target is a 29% increase over the 85,000 refugees accepted this fiscal year and a 57% hike over the 70,000 refugees allowed per year from 2013 to 2015.

Most of the mainstream news outlets that are talking about this story are not mentioning the number that will be admitted from Syria. And there is a good reason for this. According to NBC News, the number of refugees that will be brought in from "the Near East and South Asia" would rise to at least 40,000 under Obama's plan, and "most of those are likely to be people escaping the brutal Syrian civil war"...

Of the 110,000 the U.S. intends to begin admitting at least 40,000 are from the Near East and South Asia, a White House senior administration official said. And most of those are likely to be people escaping the brutal Syrian civil war, even as many GOP lawmakers and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump sound the alarm about terrorists in the midst of the refugees.

During fiscal year 2016, approximately 85,000 refugees were admitted to this country, and approximately 10,000 of those were Syrian refugees according to the federal Refugee Processing Center.

So if the number of Syrian refugees approaches 40,000 as Obama's plan appears to indicate, that would mean that somewhere around four times as many Syrian refugees will be brought into this country next year.

If we were helping Christians and other minorities that are being brutally persecuted by ISIS that would be one thing. But instead, it is being reported that only 0.46% of the refugees in the U.S. are Christians, and 98.33 percent of them are Sunni Muslims.

ISIS is a Sunni Muslim terror organization. We should be focusing our help on the religious minorities that are being tortured, killed and driven from their homes by ISIS, but instead almost all of the refugees that are being brought in are on the same religious side of the fence as ISIS.

And it is important to note that surveys have discovered that a significant percentage of Syrian refugees actually have a favorable view of ISIS.

The chaos that Sunni refugees have caused in cities all over Europe has definitely shifted public opinion in the U.S. about taking in more refugees. One poll that was taken back in November found that 56 percent of all Americans disapprove of bringing in more Syrian refugees, and only 41 percent of all Americans approve.

But Obama is going ahead anyway. At this point he is a lame duck, and so he doesn't really have to answer to anyone.

Some governors tried to stand up and say that they wouldn't take any more refugees in their states. Unfortunately for those governors, the courts ruled against them...

What happens next remains to be seen. Last year, with Syrian refugees flooding into Europe, the White House increased the number of refugees it would admit from the war-torn country. That led Republican governors in roughly two dozen states to express their opposition to receiving Syrians. Some governors filed lawsuits to stop refugees from coming to their states; they lost.

And so it is going to be up to Congress to try to do something.

As I have written about previously, it appears that the Syrian refugees that have been brought in so far have not been distributed on a uniform basis throughout the nation. According to the Obama administration, large cities such as Washington D.C. are deemed to be "too expensive" for the refugees, and there have been lots of reports of Syrian refugees being settled in smaller communities all over the country. In my previous article, this is how I described the impact that this could have...

If you drop a few hundred refugees into a major city of several million people, it isn't going to make much of a difference. But if you drop a few hundred refugees into a small town that has only a few thousand people living there, you can start to fundamentally alter the character of the whole area. Could it be possible that this is yet another way that Barack Obama is attempting to "fundamentally transform" America?

Many people have asked why we have to take in so many Sunni refugees when wealthy Sunni nations such as Saudi Arabia haven't taken in any.

And I think that is a legitimate question.

In the end, there has to be a balance. We want to help those that are fleeing the brutal religious persecution of ISIS, but we also want to be mindful of our own national security. I think that what House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte had to say about this was very appropriate...

House Judiciary Committee Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-Va.) criticized the decision, saying policymakers should focus on reforming the nation's system for admitting refugees rather than having the White House set goals.

"For generations, the United States has been a safe haven for people fleeing persecution. We must remain compassionate toward refugees but we also need to make sure that we use common sense," Goodlatte said in a statement. "Unfortunately, President Obama unilaterally increases the number of refugees resettled in the United States each year and gives little thought as to how it will impact local communities. The president also continues to ignore warnings from his own national security officials and plans to bring in even more Syrian refugees over the next year."

In Orlando we witnessed what a single lone wolf Islamic terrorist can do.

We need to use common sense, and we need to do the best that we can to make sure that the people that we are bringing in do not want to conduct their own personal jihads once they get here.

Unfortunately, Barack Obama has his own agenda, and it does not appear to be in the best interest of the United States.

​

My Review of "Rapture Ready...Or Not?"

Over the last 35 years, I have literally read hundreds of books on Bible Prophecy and End Time signs. I especially enjoy books on the Rapture, and I have read almost every Rapture-related book published. In all those years, devouring thousands of pages, and millions of words, I have not read a better book on the Rapture than, Rapture Ready...Or Not?

Terry James might be physically blind, but he is spiritually sharp and well discerning beyond most authors. In "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" Terry has nailed the pre-trib Rapture, and removed any doubt what so ever about the Church going through the Tribulation. With great insight and Godly discernment, Terry explains with simple, yet profound words, why and how that he has come to believe the ways he does about the Rapture, the Tribulation, and the End Times scenario. I think after reading "Rapture Ready...Or Not?" you too will believe as Terry does, and be Ready for the Rapture like never before! - Randy Thomas - Publisher / Editor - Prophecy Update

We all know how important it is to be aware of what's going on around you. When walking through the woods you need to be aware of poison ivy, rattlesnakes, and skunks. When driving you need to be aware of your speed, the traffic around you, and which lane you need to be in. When you're in a battle you need to be aware of the enemy and the weapons he uses against you. You also need to be aware of your own weapons and how to use them to fight the battle. We are in a battle every day, but do you know who the enemy is? "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world." 1 Peter 5:8-9. Peter tells us in plain language that the devil is our enemy and that we need to stay vigilant and resist him. The battle is spiritual and so are the weapons. Faith in Jesus Christ is a powerful weapon in the battle.

Many people say that to learn about Satan is to give him power. I disagree. If you don't know the enemy you give him the edge in battle. He masquerades as an angel of light, but he is pure evil. His lies can make wrong seem right, but it never is right to live in opposition to God. If you are blind to the wiles of Satan you stand a real chance of getting sucked into his lies. How do you combat such an enemy? Study God's word. If God didn't want us to have knowledge of this evil enemy He wouldn't have told us so much about him. We tend to think Satan is everywhere and personally causes our sufferings. Satan cannot be everywhere; only God is omnipresent. Satan needs help to work his evil hatred against mankind. "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." Ephesians 6:12. The "principalities, powers, and rulers of darkness" are demons. Demons are real and like Satan are evil. In order to fight the spiritual wickedness in high places, you need to come to grips with the fact that it is real.

Demon possession is as real today as it was when Jesus confronted them. People don't like to admit it, but it's becoming more common. Today it may be labeled with some big Latin name, but when a person gets naked, murders, and then eats their victim, that's demonic. When that person has superhuman strength and growls like an animal, that's demonic. Ouija boards are becoming popular again and they are invitations to demons. Mind altering drugs also make it easy for demons to take possession of a person. Many doctors prescribe drugs for everything. Can't sleep? Take a drug. Down in the dumps? Take a drug. Overweight? Take a drug. You get the idea. Drugs are acceptable to society, yet God's word says "No" and equates drugs to witchcraft. Even Christians can be harassed by demons if they open themselves to it. Paul warned against the works of the flesh, such as adultery, fornication, etc. and in that list he included "Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies," Galatians 5:20. The word "witchcraft" is translated from the Greek word "pharmakeia" which is using or administering drugs, poisoning, sorcery, and magical arts. Drugs are weapons of Satan. If you're taking prescription drugs, I'm not telling you to stop taking them, just be cautious. If you're taking "recreational" drugs, stop.

God is the authority on spiritual warfare, and if you aren't using the weapons He gave you then shame on you. What are those weapons? You'll find them in God's word. Paul wrote to many congregations encouraging them to stand against the pagan culture around them. Pay attention because we are also living in the midst of pagans who would have us ignore God and buy into satanic lies. "Wherefore take unto you the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand. Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;" Ephesians 6:13-14. By having your loins girt and wearing a breastplate you protect vulnerable body parts. God's truth will enable you to see the lies of Satan and fight against them, and it isn't your own righteousness that protects you, but the righteousness that only comes from Jesus. "and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;" Ephesians 6:15. You don't want to enter a battle wearing flip flops. The Gospel is a weapon that the enemy hates...he was defeated at the cross. Have your feet properly shod with the Gospel and always have it with you. "Above all taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God:" Ephesians 6:16-17. Faith. This is the shield that will protect you against the nagging thoughts of "Am I really saved" or "It won't hurt to just try marijuana". Satan doesn't always use big things like disease or famine to cause you to question God, but uses the fiery darts of doubt. Wear the helmet of salvation so those fiery darts don't penetrate your thoughts and fight with God's word. The sword of the Spirit will never fail. "Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, and watching thereunto with all perseverance and supplication for all saints;" Ephesians 6:18. Did you know prayer is a weapon against Satan? It is, but too many Christians only use it when they find themselves in trouble because they've neglected all of their armor. Our enemy knows his weapons and how to use them, and you need to become skilled with the weapons of God in order to stay strong in the battle. If you don't study God's word and sharpen your weapons then, quite frankly, you've chosen defeat.

In times past men would sit on the wall surrounding a city and watch. If the enemy approached, the watchman would recognize the enemy and sound an alarm calling everyone to battle. Where are those watchmen today? Playing video games? Watching enemy-honoring movies? We need to stop living in a false sense of peace and sound the alarm that the enemy has surrounded us. Thank God Almighty that there are a few watchmen still sounding the alarm, but I'm always surprised at how many Christians mock them. Paul warned that during the last days there would be perilous times. "This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come." 2 Timothy 3:1. We are living in the last days and need more watchmen trained to know the enemy and sounding the alarm calling Christian soldiers to battle. We need Christian warriors who have their weapons ready for battle.

In these last days we live in we see ungodly attitudes increasing, even within our congregations. "For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful unholy, without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good, traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God; having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away." 2 Timothy 3:2-5. None of these traits should be found in a Christian. By denying His power you surrender to the enemy allowing the other traits in the list become commonplace. We are in a spiritual battle and the Holy Spirit will fight for us. We need watchmen who haven't been blinded by Satan's lies and we need Christians who aren't afraid to fight the battle. We are in the last days and evil is growing more powerful, but there's no doubt that Satan will lose. Brethren, know the enemy and don't surrender to him. Don't deny the power of God, but allow the Holy Spirit to fight through you.

No matter where you live, chances are that satanic forces are infiltrating your neighborhood. The fools who participate in satanic rituals are becoming bolder and Christians are running from the fight. It isn't unusual for a public black mass to take place or for occult leaders to demand that public meetings be opened with a demonic prayer. If Christians protest these abominations we are called haters and are accused of political incorrectness. Instead of standing firm for Jesus we quietly slink away. We pretend that Jesus wouldn't have stood against evil. Jesus recognized the battle and knew that He needed to send warriors into the fight. "Then he called his twelve disciples together and gave them power and authority over all devils and to cure diseases. And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick." Luke 9:1-2. Those twelve men must have been amazed at what was accomplish through the power and authority given to them by Jesus. Today people think that only those twelve received the power and when they died, so did the power of God. To believe this you have to buy into Satan's lies. Jesus also sent out seventy who returned with joy over the things they did in Jesus' name. Jesus told them "Behold I give unto you power to tread on serpents and scorpions, and over all the power of the enemy: and nothing shall by any means hurt you." Luke 10:19. The serpents and scorpions represent demons. Jesus gave power to the twelve disciples then to the seventy to be victorious in battle against them. That same power is available to us. Don't deny your authority in Jesus Christ. Demons haven't gone away and neither has the power of Jesus Christ working through you.

After Jesus conquered death He was very busy. He appeared to the women at the tomb and then to two disciples walking to Emmaus. "Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen." Mark 16:14. Jesus knows what you do and if you deny Him. Unbelief weakens a person's fitness for battle. After confronting their disbelief He gave them their marching orders to spread the Gospel. "And these signs shall follow them that believe; in my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; they shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover." Mark 16:17-18. These gifts did not stop with those first disciples. If you believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, the power to cast out devils, speak in tongues, take up serpents, and all the gifts of the Spirit are still available. The qualifying remark is you must believe. He hasn't left us defenseless, but disbelief is a weapon of the enemy. "And they went forth, and preached every where, the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following. Amen." Mark 16:20. After He ascended, Jesus still worked with them. He still works with us.

Are you ready for battle? Know the enemy. More than that, know the power that you have through Jesus Christ to fight in the battle. Don't deny His power.

My oldest brother who was a coach of young men and was killed at 24 when a drunk driver hit him head on as he traveled to meet his team at a basketball game used to say around the supper table at the farm, "Only believe half of what you see and nothing of what you hear ." While I was only about eight years old at the time, that was a statement I pondered a lot. In high school and college, I was paid for my articles on various events by several news outlets, and later became an award-winning journalist. I wanted people to know that I was reporting the facts responsibly and that they could believe what they saw from me. Truth was not relative to me as a writer. How things have changed in journalism today.

Nowadays, we cannot trust that the news media will give the facts. There is a slant on news where the lines between reporting facts, editorializing, and just plain omitting details that change the entire basis of the event are so blurred that it is difficult to discern truth. We have so many blogs by so many so-called journalists that even they do not know when they are writing factually or just offering their opinions. News programs that have the look and feel of real news are often laced with opinions and half-truths, making it even more difficult to figure out what is going on. A twist of a word here, an alteration of an action there, and you has an entirely different "narrative."

Take the case of Hillary Clinton's health. You can see by her actions, the way she talks and laughs, the way she walks and carries herself, that something is amiss. And you can get several entirely different takes on her condition from just an allergy to pneumonia to the onset of dementia to stroke to heart condition to traumatic brain injury. Her "doctors" are trying their best to convince people that she is physically and mentally fit to handle the office of President. Depending on the news outlet you read, view or listen to, you will hear one or more of the variables on these themes. The one thing that you can discern from all this is that Clinton has something wrong with her and nobody is telling us what it really is.

A good journalist without an agenda would get to the bottom of the story. But most are just reporting supposition. It is no wonder that Gallup reports that "Americans' trust and confidence in the mass media "to report the news fully, accurately and fairly" has dropped to its lowest level in Gallup polling history, with 32% saying they have a great deal or fair amount of trust in the media. This is down eight percentage points from last year." 2 Timothy 3:13 says, "But evil men will wax worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived." The media in the United States was supposed to keep these deceivers in check, but they are so deceived themselves with strong personal opinions on morals and politics that they cannot see the truth.

And there shall be no more curse, but the throne of God and of the Lamb shall be in it, and His servants shall serve Him. -Revelation 22:3

What are we going to be doing in heaven?

For starters, we will be worshipping. In Revelation 5, we are given a glimpse of heaven and we see that it's a place of worship. Our pain will be gone, our tears will be dried, our questions will be answered, and as a result, we will offer unbridled worship to the Lord.

Some might say, "I don't know. It sounds like heaven is going to be a really long church service. I like church services, but is that all we are going to do?" Believe me, this worship is going to be different than any you have ever experienced on earth-but no, worship is not the only business of heaven. We also are going to be serving the Lord. Revelation 22:3 says, "His servants shall serve Him."

I am glad of that because I can only rest for so long. Some people's dream is just to retire and disconnect and play golf for the rest of their life. Or eat and sleep. Or fish, or surf, or whatever it is they like to do. That is all fine for a while. I don't play golf, I surf just a little bit, and I eat a lot. (By the way, we eat in heaven, and that is good news.) Rest and recreation are great things. But it's good to know that we will be able to serve the Lord as well.

Think about what the word recreation means. Recreation is to re-create. When I take a little time off, I get recharged. Then I want to get back to what I am passionate about: getting closer to God and bringing other people to Him.

I think the rest and recreation we experience in heaven will motivate us to worship and serve the Lord all the more.

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